Aeronautical machine.



J. R. PORTER.

AERONAUTICAL MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 27, 1913.

Lwkw Patented July 21, 19M;

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J. R. PORTER.

ABRONAUTIGAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 2.7, 1913 1 1@4 5%2 Patented July 21, 19M;

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ROBERTSON PORTER, OF HOLBORN, LONDON, ENGLAND.

AERONAUTICAL MACHINE.

To all 'tU/LOWL it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns RomiRTsoNlonrnn, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 9 Grays InnSquare, Holborn, in the county of London, England, civil engineer, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Aeronautical Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeronautical machines of the type in which themachine is provided with a horizontally rotating fan or propeller whichdraws in air from the upper end of the machine and expels it through apassage formed with surfaces which deflect the air downwardly.

The present invention consists in an improved construction designed toincrease the efliciency of the machine and to enable the travel of themachine to be readily controlled.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a conical deflectingsurface surrounding the axis of the propeller to deflect the airgradually from the inlet to the outlet passage,while another feature isthe provision of flaps for controlling the discharge of the airaccording to the direction of travel desired.

The invention further consists in the combination and arrangement ofpartsas hereinafter described and .moreparticularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 illustrates in vertical sectionmy improved construction of machine, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of half.the upper side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1illustrative of a modified construction.

In the drawings a and b are the two deflecting surfaces forming betweenthem an annular outlet passage 9; the two surfaces being curved so thatthe upper side of the machine is concave and the underside convex whilethe outlet opening is approximately horizontal. The inner edge of theupper deflecting surface a is turned upward as at a so forming an ogeeand is provided with a ring which is connected by means of spokes c to acentral plate or hub 0 This hub forms a bearing for the upper end of theshaft (2 of the fan or propeller d. The inner edge of the lowerdeflecting surface I) is also provided with a ring 6 to which isattached a circular framed structure 6'. Within this structure may bemounted a sleeve 6 forming the lower bearing of the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed January 27, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914. Serial No. 744,458.

propeller shaft cl, as shown in Fig. 1, or the engine K for driving thesaid shaft may be mounted in the structure 6, as shown in Fig. 3. Anysuitable and known type of internal combustion engine may be employed,same being connected by means of spur gearing of the epicyclic type tothe propeller shaft d. To provide for the efficient cooling of theengine K the latter is surrounded by a casing Z open at the bottom andat the top.

Attached to the propeller shaft ad is a conical deflecting surface hwhich rotates with the propeller d, and at the base of this conicaldeflecting surface is a fixed deflecting surface it forming acontinuation of the conical deflecting surface It to the inner edge ofthe lower deflecting surface 7). Thus it will be seen that the lowerdeflecting-surface b is also ogee in form similarly to the upperdeflecting surface a. The upper and lower deflecting surfaces a b areconnected together by means of struts c, and the outlet from the passageformed between these two surfaces is controlled by any suitable closuressuch as flaps g which are hinged to the one or the other of the saidsurfaces. According to the construction shown in Fig. l the flaps g arehinged to the lower deflecting surface I), and according to Fig. 3 theyare shown hinged to the upper deflecting surface a.

These flaps extend around the lower open endof the passageway g, and itis obvious that they may be suitably positioned and proportioned inlength relative to the circumferential edges of said passageway.

' From Fig. 3, however, it will be seen that the upper deflectingsurface a is extended below the outer edge of the lower deflectingsurface 6 and that such extended portion is formed with openings 9 toreceive the flaps 9 when the latter are in position to open fully theoutlet from the passage 9. The closures or flaps g, which may beflexible, are connected in any suitable way with a controllin lever 9mounted in the under carriage of t e machine. The special form ofconnecting means for operating the flaps is obviously not important, andin the drawings, for simplicity of illustration, this feature is merelyshown diagrammatically by the cords 9 The lever g is pivoted in such a.manner that it may be turned in any direction to enable the flaps g tobe operated as desired. The undercarriage is provided with a landingchassis f and is suspended from the structure 0 by means of a bracedframing or column 7.

Air drawn in by means of the propeller d through the upper opening ofthe machine is deflected by the surfaces h, h surrounding the propellershaft and passes into the passage 9 formed between the upper and lowerdeflecting surfaces at b, and is expelled downwardly. When it is desiredto move the machine forward, either along the ground or when in theair,'th flap g at the front of the machine is operated to close orpartially close the outlet from the passage g, while the remaining flapsremain open, the effect being that the forward portion of the machinetends to tilt, owing to the velocity of the air being curtailed orstopped by the flap 9, and a forward motion is produced. In a similarmannerthe machine may be caused to travel in any other direction byoperating the flap which corresponds to the direction of travel desired.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An aeronautical machine consisting of a framework; an outer and aninner lower wall constructed and spaced apart to form a downwardlyflaring annular passageway, the

lower-edge of said inner wall terminating in the plane of the lower edgeof said outer wall; an upper intake annular passageway formed by acontinuation of said outer wall and an internal conical member having anunimpeded concave outer surface, forming a continuation of said innerwall, and providing a deflecting surface for directing the incoming airto said flaring passageway; and means for drawing in and propelling saidincoming air through said passageway, substantially as described.

2. In an aeronautical machine, the combination of an outer, and an innerwall constructed and spaced to provide upper and lower reversely curvedannular passageways forming a continuous downwardly flaring passagewayof ogee contour, having unimpeded interior deflecting surfaces, andprovided with open ends terminating in planes at right angles to themajor axis of said machine; means for drawing air inwardly through saidupper passageway and discharging same outwardly through said lowerpassageway; and means controlling the discharge of air from said lowerpassageway at varying positions of its circumference, substantially asdescribed.

I 3. In an aeronautical machine, the combination'of a suitably supportedouter and an inner wall constructed and spaced to provide an upper and alower reversely curved annular chamber, forming a continuous open endedannular passageway, the upper portion of said inner wall comprising ahollow twopart conical member having an outer concave deflectingsurface, a transverse space being provided between the upper and lowerportions of said two-part member; a rotary driven shaft extendinglongitudinally within said hollow conical member; and radial arms onsaid shaft, provided with propeller blades operating in said upperannular chamber, substantially as described.

4. In an aeronautical machine, the combination of a suitably supportedouter and an inner wall, constructed and spaced to provide an upperforming a continuous downwardlyflaring passageway of ogee contour, saidpassageway having open ends disposed in planes at right angles to themajor axis of the machine; rotary driven propeller blades mounted andoperating in said upper annular cliainber; movable closures cooperatingwith the lower open end of said lower annular chamber for controllingthe discharge of air therethrough; and means for operating said closuresat varying positions around said lower open end, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I-have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

J AMES ROBERTSON PORTER.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, O. J. WORTH.

and a lower annular chamber,

